I expect a better fight from Texans this time for sure. I cant believe Texans blew their bye week and hfa...that will be the difference.

And gronk is our best offensive player not named brady...I think itll be too much firepower for your slumping offense to keep up w. Anyone on your d match up well w gronk and Hernandez?

Ill go w 38 21, pats.

Don't be to cocky man. Remember what happened a few years ago after you guys dominated the Jets. It could happen again. Not saying it will, and I do think you guys will win, but this is not a "gimme" at all. Go Texans!

If we would have gotten home field advantage , Gronk and the other Pats would have been so distracted by our gentlemen's clubs that a cake walk was inevitable . Down here they build the stage with 1x4s unlike up there where they use 4x4s .

I posted my 5 reasons the Pats will win over on my blog, if you guys want to read it. The link is here.

Quote:

The Pats take away the one thing you want to do: The Pats are tough up the middle, with Vince Wilfork anchoring the middle, and Brando Spikes behind him at linebacker stuffing the run. They'll neutralize Arian Foster enough to put the game in Matt Shaub's hands. Which brings us to...

As far as the running game goes, I think we'll be successful for two reasons.

We get Newton back
Derek Newton, though just a 7th rounder had been playing very well & just getting to "gel" with our OL. He was hurt week 10 & sat out against the Pats. He's back. Not only is he back, he's healthy. He's had three games to get back in the swing of things & our game vs the Bengals is evidence.

Ben Jones is a bad man
A lot of us are anxious to see Brandon Brooks play RG and manhandle Vince Wilfork... or at least provide more than a speed-bumps worth of resistance. But Ben Jones has been playing very well & gives us something Brooks does not.

An increased athleticism that allows him to get to the second level in a variety of different ways. Again, watch the Bengals' game & see how many different ways Jones was able to get to the second level & take out the smaller LBs.

Vince Wilfork is a beast, but ask any Pats fan, that strength of their run defense is their all-SEC LB squad. We need to attack those LBs to have success in the run game.

As far as Gronk goes. Jjo is back & he's healthy. Jjo played week 14, but he was not healthy. He was in & out of the game & we had guys most of us didn't know relieving him. Now, Jjo is playing the best ball he's played all year & he will shut down one receiver. Kjax is playing like an All-pro & he'll shut down the other side.

Gronk & the slot receiver will be playing against our LBs, safeties, & Brandon Harris. It'll be 5 on two (Ruud, James, Quin, Manning, Harris vs Gronk & the slot). Gronk & the slot (Welker probably) will get there yards, they'll make their plays, but they're not going to be blowing the top off of anything. They'll have to earn their yards this time.

I'm not predicting a Texans' win though I am hopeful. We will win outright, or at least cover the spread.

Gronk & the slot receiver will be playing against our LBs, safeties, & Brandon Harris. It'll be 5 on two (Ruud, James, Quin, Manning, Harris vs Gronk & the slot). Gronk & the slot (Welker probably) will get there yards, they'll make their plays, but they're not going to be blowing the top off of anything. They'll have to earn their yards this time.
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LB's covering Welker or Hernandez in the slot will be a serious mismatch. The Pats will spend all day in the red zone in that case. Even if you're able to slow them down in the red area, the odds are Brady will find Gronk down the seam, as they always seem to burn teams with that. If the Texans use the safety over the top to help with Gronk down the seam, it'll open up the running game in the red zone. Then you'll get Ridley on powers and dives or even Woodhead on screens. Your best hope IMO is that JJ Watt takes his game to an even higher level and gets Brady feeling the pressure. Then he won't have time to check down, and he'll force it to Gronk and possibly make a mistake.

Twice a year the Pats play the Steelers...one one or two of those occasions the Pats might get a blowout...but the second game If they win is by a narrow margin. If they lose it's also by a narrow margin but it comes AFTER a game in which the black and gold PUMMEL the receivers and Brady into submission.
The Patriots are a championship calibre team but they're not made of titanium. If their armor didn't have a few chinks in it Eli Manning wouldn't have one of his Superbowl rings and the 72 Dolphins would have FINALLY SHUT THE VUGG UP! Tom Brady will be inducted into the hall of fame but he doesn't have an "S" on his chest.
In the words of the immortal Oriel A. "Bum" Phillips: "Any team can beat any other team on any given Sunday." Before you celebrate a trip to the AFC Championship game...you DO realize that there is a game to be played on Sunday right?

__________________"Why attack a man for his race or religion when there are so many other PERFECTLY good reasons?" :Dreademiah 2:16 Dread-Head. Texan from DAY ONE & PROUD Honorary Blue Crew member..."Damn it Bill!"

My point was the fact that you play the Patriots twice a year doesn't mean that they're going to BEAT you twice.

__________________"Why attack a man for his race or religion when there are so many other PERFECTLY good reasons?" :Dreademiah 2:16 Dread-Head. Texan from DAY ONE & PROUD Honorary Blue Crew member..."Damn it Bill!"

I think the point is that it's hard to beat the same team twice in one season. I agree, it is, and I expect a real battle this time. No talk from you guys about the most important game ever, no silly letterman jackets (they were nice, i'd want one if I were a Texan fan), just shut up and play the game.

As I said in the other thread, Belichick>Kubiak. The best hope for you guys is that JJ Watt plays a game for the ages and controls the game. I think he's that type of player, he's the one that scares me the most.

I think the point is that it's hard to beat the same team twice in one season. I agree, it is, and I expect a real battle this time. No talk from you guys about the most important game ever, no silly letterman jackets (they were nice, i'd want one if I were a Texan fan), just shut up and play the game.

As I said in the other thread, Belichick>Kubiak. The best hope for you guys is that JJ Watt plays a game for the ages and controls the game. I think he's that type of player, he's the one that scares me the most.

I might actually GET one of the jackets. They're only $100.

__________________"Why attack a man for his race or religion when there are so many other PERFECTLY good reasons?" :Dreademiah 2:16 Dread-Head. Texan from DAY ONE & PROUD Honorary Blue Crew member..."Damn it Bill!"